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Join the Real Food – Low Cost Challenge!

January 29, 2012 by Laura 20 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

I’ve decided to do things just a little bit differently during the next few days, just for kicks. :)  Since most of last week’s posts were discussing the expense of eating healthy, whole foods – let’s do a little experimenting, putting some healthy recipes to the test. An “expense test”.

Instead of planning a full menu for this week, I have instead made a list of a few of our family’s favorite recipes – recipes that you’ll find regularly on our weekly menu plans. Throughout the next several days, I will be making each of these recipes. Then, I’ll pull out the calculator and do a price break-down to determine just how much it costs to make these healthy foods. I will post frequent updates, sharing the results I’ve found. I’m excited to see which of my recipes might be most costly to make, and which ones might be less expensive. This is not something I’ve ever done before, so I’m pretty excited about this experiment!

Now of course, I can’t help but want to challenge you to get involved in this experiment too. You knew that was coming, right? :)

I’d love for you to also take some of your family’s favorite healthy, real food recipes and do a little cost break-down on them. You might just be surprised at what you discover! Keep on the look-out, because throughout this challenge, I have a few fun surprises in store as we put these recipes to the test. Then mark your calendar, because on Thursday, February 9, we’ll all come together with a special Real Food – Low Cost Link-Up, so that you can also share with us some of your family’s favorite real food, low cost recipes.

Here are the recipes I plan to do a price break-down on during this experiment:

~ Applesauce Bread

~ Simple Soaked Pancakes

~ Homemade Poptarts

~ Warm Vanilla Soother

~ Chicken And Noodles

~ Homemade Pizza

~ Italian Pasta Bake

~ Cheddar Ranch Burgers

~ Taco Potatoes

~ Easy Noodle Stir Fry

Be watching for lots of fun updates detailing what I’ve discovered about the specific costs of our food. You can, at any time during those posts, share some of your discoveries too.

Sound like fun? Let the challenge begin!

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Filed Under: Eating Healthy, No More Excuses Tagged With: expensive, healthy, low cost, organic, Recipes

Comments

  1. Lorie says

    January 29, 2012 at 9:48 pm

    This does sound like a lot of fun! I can’t wait to find out how exactly you are going to break down the cost so I can try to do the same thing for some of our recipes. They may be a little higher due to allergy substitutions we have to make. On the other hand, buying them in the “allergy aisle” so to speak might be a bit high. Can’t wait to find out! Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Brooke says

    January 29, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    Looking forward to how your experiment goes ;)

    Reply
  3. Katjo Daniels says

    January 29, 2012 at 10:26 pm

    Maybe a post about how you organize your recipes such as online, in a book, etc.
    Thanks!

    Reply
  4. ELENA MARSHALL says

    January 30, 2012 at 4:07 am

    Love it! I was actually just thinking of doing the breakdown for filling lunch boxes…..can’t wait until the 9th! :)

    Reply
  5. Heather in Michigan says

    January 30, 2012 at 4:10 am

    I once broke down the cost of my kids school lunch vs packed lunch and it came out about the same price.($1.95, or so) But the homemade food was infinately better for them! This will be a fun challenge.

    Reply
  6. Amber says

    January 30, 2012 at 5:49 am

    What about the “energy” cost of preparing healthy foods? Not personal energy, but the electricity or gas to power your oven, dishwasher, etc. I am a scratch cook/baker. It is healthier and I actually enjoy it! I like involving the kids, and I have no plans to stop baking and cooking. But, sometimes I wonder (when I see the electric bill) how much firing up the oven adds to the cost of let’s say a batch of muffins.
    PS I figured a loaf of applesauce bread using your recipe costs me a little over $1 using applesauce I made from free apples.

    Reply
    • Melissa Wheeler says

      January 30, 2012 at 11:41 am

      One thing you can do to help cut energy costs is to cook multiples. Instead of making just one batch, make several batches of muffins and freeze the rest. Make some dinnersa ahead and cook them one after the other, thus saving the ‘preheat’ time.

      Reply
      • C. Dazey says

        January 30, 2012 at 7:44 pm

        I have wondered the same thing many times. I don’t really think it would change my cooking habits (since the “cost” of poor food is so high for our bodies), but a “total” cost would be nice to know.

        Reply
    • Laura says

      February 2, 2012 at 4:32 pm

      Our electric bill went up the month our new oven was installed. The only difference in electricity use was the oven, but I have to admit I did use it every day to catch up on months of delayed baking!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        February 2, 2012 at 4:32 pm

        By $100, I meant to say.

        Reply
  7. Darcy says

    January 30, 2012 at 6:54 am

    Can we calculate after various meals made from the same ingredient? Example: cook a whole chicken, but use that chicken and broth for more than one meal. The initial meal might be higher, but then the subsequent meals would be infinitely cheaper.

    Reply
    • Bri says

      January 31, 2012 at 11:34 pm

      I think it would be better to break down the cost of the chicken and spread it out over all of the meals to get a more true comparison.

      Reply
  8. Meghan V. says

    January 30, 2012 at 8:57 am

    This sounds great! I can’t wait to see what ya’ll come up with.

    Reply
  9. mckinsey says

    January 30, 2012 at 9:05 am

    This will be a very interesting week! Can’t wait to read all about it:)

    Reply
  10. Courtney says

    January 30, 2012 at 10:56 am

    Very excited about this!!!

    Reply
  11. Busy Mom in AL says

    January 30, 2012 at 11:29 am

    Was just considering a ‘rice and beans’ diet combined with a ‘beans and rice’ diet to ‘beef’ up the savings I set aside each month!:) This might make my family a little happier with some tastier, cheaper meals! Haha!

    Reply
  12. Melissa Wheeler says

    January 30, 2012 at 11:43 am

    My husband was just asking me to figure out the price per loaf of homemade bread vs. store bought. I should try this with many of the things I make!

    Reply
  13. Carmen says

    January 30, 2012 at 11:52 am

    I’ve been wanting to do this for so long but haven’t been motivated enough… :) This will be great!

    Reply
  14. Jessica says

    January 30, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    At the dinner table, my 10 year old son asks me to calculate the cost of tonight’s meal. We do this ‘game’ often. I made a meal the other night that cost around $15. My husband thought that was great. I gasped because I can usually make a meal that costs between $6-$8. This always makes for good dinner conversation.

    Reply
    • ELENA MARSHALL says

      January 31, 2012 at 9:27 am

      Oh my gosh, what a great idea! And what a lesson for kids when it comes to nutrition, finance, good stewardship,…..thanks Jessica!

      Reply

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